PracticeVideosBlogFlashcardsEspañol
All Practice Exams

100+ Free CPA Contemporary Business Issues Practice Questions

Prepare for the CPA Program Contemporary Business Issues exam with instant access — no signup required.

✓ No registration✓ No credit card✓ No hidden fees✓ Start practicing immediately
Not published Pass Rate
100+ Questions
100% Free

Loading practice questions...

Same family resources

Explore More CPA Australia Program

Continue into nearby exams from the same family. Each card keeps practice questions, study guides, flashcards, videos, and articles in one place.

CPA Program — Advanced Audit and Assurance

Practice Questions

CPA Program — Australia Taxation

Practice Questions

CPA Program — Australia Taxation – Advanced

Practice Questions

CPA Program — Ethics and Governance

Practice Questions

CPA Program — Financial Reporting

Practice Questions

CPA Program — Financial Risk Management

Practice Questions
2026 Statistics

Key Facts: CPA Contemporary Business Issues Exam

5

Modules

CBI Subject Outline (Fifth edition)

100% MCQ

Exam Format

CPA Australia

25%

Heaviest Module (HRM)

CBI Subject Outline

195 min

Exam Question Time

CPA Australia

Elective

Subject Type

CPA Australia

100

Free Practice Questions

OpenExamPrep

CPA Program Contemporary Business Issues (CBI) is an elective assessed generally by 100 per cent multiple-choice questions. The current fifth-edition subject outline sets five modules with exam weightings: Future accounting skills 15%, Contemporary business models and financing 20%, Contemporary human resource management 25%, Future of natural resource management 20%, and Contemporary stakeholder management 20%. CPA Australia does not publish a fixed question count or per-subject pass rate, and sets the pass standard each window. Candidates are generally allowed 195 minutes for exam questions. Subject enrolment and membership fees vary by region and should be confirmed on CPA Australia's fees page.

Sample CPA Contemporary Business Issues Practice Questions

Try these sample questions to test your CPA Contemporary Business Issues exam readiness. Each question includes a detailed explanation. Start the interactive quiz above for the full 100+ question experience with AI tutoring.

1In the CPA Program's Contemporary Business Issues subject, what is identified as the increasingly outdated view of the accountant's role that future-focused accountants must move beyond?
A.A role centred on recording and reporting financial information
B.A purely strategic advisory role focused on innovation
C.A role focused on stakeholder reputation management
D.A role limited to natural resource accounting
Explanation: CPA Australia notes that many prospective accountants assume their work revolves around recording and reporting financial information, but describes this as a narrow and increasingly outdated view. Future-focused accountants must take on a strategic advisory role that adds value beyond financial measures.
2Contemporary Business Issues divides Module 1 (Future accounting skills) into four parts. Which part focuses on the behavioural skills that enable accountants to manage their own work and collaborate effectively across the organisation?
A.Part A on the changing business environment
B.Part C on behavioural skills such as problem solving and communication
C.Part B on key business skills and organisational knowledge
D.Part D on leadership skills and attributes
Explanation: Part C of Module 1 focuses on behavioural skills that enable the accountant to manage their own work and work effectively with others. CPA Australia highlights problem solving, communication, collaboration and ethical conduct as crucial for accountants seeking to become strategic advisers.
3Within the future-of-work themes in Contemporary Business Issues, what best describes 'big data'?
A.A regulatory framework for data privacy compliance
B.A blockchain protocol for recording transactions
C.The enormous volume and variety of automatically generated and captured data that offers valuable insights
D.A method of replacing rules-based human labour with computers
Explanation: Big data refers to the enormous volume and variety of data automatically generated and captured thanks to the ubiquity of the internet and connected devices. It offers valuable insights, but exploring it often requires machine learning techniques.
4How does Contemporary Business Issues define 'automation' as a contemporary technology issue affecting the accounting profession?
A.Securing organisational data against privacy breaches
B.Enabling computers to make decisions reflecting human judgement
C.Capturing large volumes of internet-generated data
D.Replacing repetitive, rules-based human labour with computer labour
Explanation: Automation is the replacement of repetitive, rules-based human labour with computer labour. It directly affects transactional accounting tasks, freeing accountants to focus on strategic, advisory and judgement-based work.
5In Contemporary Business Issues, artificial intelligence (AI) is best characterised as technology that:
A.Enables computers to make decisions that reflect human judgement
B.Automatically captures large volumes of connected-device data
C.Provides a tamper-resistant shared ledger of transactions
D.Replaces full-time roles with contingent labour
Explanation: CPA Australia describes artificial intelligence as technology that enables computers to make decisions that reflect human judgement. This is distinct from automation, which simply executes predefined, rules-based tasks.
6Professional skepticism, as emphasised in the CPA Program, is best described as:
A.An attitude of automatically distrusting all client representations
B.A questioning mind and a critical assessment of evidence
C.A requirement to obtain audit assurance on every transaction
D.A bias toward accepting management explanations to preserve relationships
Explanation: Professional skepticism is an attitude that includes a questioning mind, being alert to conditions indicating possible misstatement, and a critical assessment of evidence. It supports sound, evidence-based professional judgement rather than blind trust or blind distrust.
7Contemporary Business Issues encourages 'professional curiosity'. According to the subject's general objectives, professional curiosity is fostered by:
A.Accepting established assumptions to maintain efficiency
B.Delegating all strategic questions to senior management
C.Challenging assumptions about contemporary and emerging global issues
D.Focusing solely on historical financial reporting
Explanation: A general objective of the subject is to encourage an attitude of professional curiosity by challenging assumptions about contemporary and emerging global issues and how they should be addressed. This mindset helps accountants avoid imprudent decision making.
8An accountant uses a machine-learning model whose recommendations cannot be readily explained. Which contemporary technology risk does this most directly raise?
A.The risk of data security breaches during storage
B.The risk of insufficient big-data volume
C.The risk that automation eliminates rules-based tasks
D.The lack of transparency and explainability in automated decision making
Explanation: When an AI or machine-learning model's outputs cannot be readily explained, the key concern is the lack of transparency and explainability, sometimes called the 'black box' problem. Accountants must apply professional skepticism and consider accountability for decisions driven by such models.
9Module 1 explains that leadership in contemporary organisations:
A.Occurs at all levels of the organisation, not just in formal management roles
B.Is exercised only by those holding formal management positions
C.Has been replaced by automation and AI
D.Is relevant only to the human resources function
Explanation: Part D of Module 1 examines leadership skills and attributes, recognising that while management carries formal leadership responsibilities, leadership also occurs at all levels of the organisation. Accountants can demonstrate leadership regardless of their formal title.
10CPA Australia states that future accountants will have 'an expanded focus well beyond financial measures'. This expanded focus specifically includes:
A.Only short-term shareholder returns
B.Physical and social outcomes in addition to financial measures
C.Tax minimisation as the primary objective
D.Eliminating non-financial reporting entirely
Explanation: CPA Australia states that the accountants of today and tomorrow will act as business advisers, carry significant ethical responsibilities, and have an expanded focus well beyond financial measures to consider physical and social outcomes as well. This reflects the rise of sustainability and integrated reporting.

About the CPA Contemporary Business Issues Exam

Contemporary Business Issues is an elective subject in the CPA Program that examines contemporary and emerging global issues to prepare accountants for a changing business environment. It spans future accounting skills and emerging technologies, business models and financing, human resource management, the future of natural resource management including ESG and integrated reporting, and stakeholder management, and is assessed by a multiple-choice exam.

Assessment

Question count not published by the exam provider

Time Limit

Generally 195 minutes (3 hours 15 minutes) for exam questions

Passing Score

CPA Australia sets the pass standard per exam window and does not publish a fixed raw percentage

Exam Fee

CPA Program subject enrolment fee applies and varies by region; confirm the current amount on CPA Australia's important dates and fees page (CPA Australia)

CPA Contemporary Business Issues Exam Content Outline

15%

Future accounting skills

Drivers of change in the profession, the strategic adviser role, business and behavioural skills, leadership, and emerging technologies such as big data, automation, AI and digital disruption.

20%

Contemporary business models and financing

Business model innovation, the sharing economy and digital platforms, crowd-source and marketplace funding, social entrepreneurship, and microfinance for financial inclusion.

25%

Contemporary human resource management

Strategic HRM, human capital, workforce diversity, the changing nature of work, hybrid and contingent workforces, knowledge sharing, and the accountant's role in people management.

20%

Future of natural resource management

Sustainable resource use, carbon taxes and emissions trading, climate change, ESG reporting, integrated reporting, and accounting for non-financial costs and benefits.

20%

Contemporary stakeholder management

Stakeholder governance, effective stakeholder communication, social media, reputation management, and deeper engagement through long-term relationship building.

How to Pass the CPA Contemporary Business Issues Exam

What You Need to Know

  • Passing score: CPA Australia sets the pass standard per exam window and does not publish a fixed raw percentage
  • Assessment: Question count not published by the exam provider
  • Time limit: Generally 195 minutes (3 hours 15 minutes) for exam questions
  • Exam fee: CPA Program subject enrolment fee applies and varies by region; confirm the current amount on CPA Australia's important dates and fees page

Keys to Passing

  • Work through all 100 available questions
  • Review every answer and explanation
  • Track weak areas and revisit them
  • Use our AI tutor for tough concepts

CPA Contemporary Business Issues Study Tips from Top Performers

1Use the module weightings to allocate time, giving the most to Contemporary human resource management at 25%.
2Prepare for applied multiple-choice questions: CBI tests judgement on scenarios, not memorised definitions or computation.
3Learn the precise distinctions between big data, automation, artificial intelligence and blockchain, which are common emerging-technology testing points.
4Master sustainability terminology, including ESG reporting versus integrated reporting (<IR>) and how carbon taxes and emissions trading schemes create incentives.
5For stakeholder management, focus on governance perspectives, social media's two-way nature, and reputation management.
6Build an error log by module so you can target the topics where your applied judgement is weakest before exam day.

Frequently Asked Questions

What is CPA Program Contemporary Business Issues?

Contemporary Business Issues (CBI) is an elective subject in CPA Australia's CPA Program. It examines contemporary and emerging global issues to familiarise accountants with the future business environment, using those issues to develop professional skills, values, ethics and attitudes.

How is the Contemporary Business Issues exam structured?

CPA Australia states the CBI exam generally consists of 100 per cent multiple-choice questions. There is no extended-response or essay section, so candidates should prepare by practising applied multiple-choice questions across all five modules.

What are the modules and weightings for Contemporary Business Issues?

The fifth-edition subject outline lists five modules: Future accounting skills 15%, Contemporary business models and financing 20%, Contemporary human resource management 25%, Future of natural resource management 20%, and Contemporary stakeholder management 20%.

Which module is weighted most heavily?

Contemporary human resource management carries the highest exam weighting at 25%. Candidates should allocate the greatest single share of study time to that module while still covering the other four.

How long is the CPA Program exam?

Candidates are generally allowed 195 minutes, or 3 hours 15 minutes, to complete CPA Program exam questions, plus reading time and an unscheduled break for computer-based and online proctored sittings.

What is the passing score for Contemporary Business Issues?

CPA Australia does not publish a fixed raw passing percentage for CBI. It sets the pass standard for each exam window, so candidates should aim for consistent mastery across all five modules rather than a single target percentage.

How much does the subject cost?

A CPA Program subject enrolment fee applies and varies by region, alongside annual CPA Australia membership. Confirm the exact amounts in your local currency on CPA Australia's important dates and fees page before enrolling.

Is Contemporary Business Issues compulsory?

No. Contemporary Business Issues is an elective subject in the CPA Program. Candidates choose it alongside the compulsory subjects to make up the required number of subjects for the program.